Linda Chang on the story of Forever 21

From unexpected beginnings, the high street of a LA district populated by members of the Korean community, to growth as the largest stand alone fast fashion, discount retailer across the States. The trajectory and phenomenal rise of

clothing boutique, Forever 21, has been, arguably, one of the most fascinating stories in recent retail history. Now as the family born and bred business has reached British shores and set up its largest UK space in the new Westfield Stratfield, FashionUnited caught up with Linda Chang, daughter of founders Don and Jin Sook Chang, to hear more about what it is to work alongside her family members, the Forever 21 specific daily drop system, and future plans.

“I always find the grand openings the most satisfying moments,” enthuses Linda Chang, 29, family member and marketing guru of fashion chain, Forever 21. “It’s a time I find I look back and reflect; it’s amazing to see the customer excitement and it’s wonderful to feel that I am putting something back into the industry; it’s not all about the money and success.” It’s a refreshing attitude for someone who stands to take over an estimated $135million company and established fashion name. It all started when her father, Don Chang, was working in a gas station in LA, an 80’s immigrant from Korea, and noticed all the best cars were driven by clothing merchants. So came the first store in Highland Park (1984) which sold merchandise similar to the expensive downtown clothing, but cheaply made knockoffs. Today, looking across at the huge 68,000 sq ft Westfield Stratford Forever 21 space (which will feature all merchandise, including mens, girls and heritage lines) there’s clearly a lot to reflect on as the home-grown and
nurtured business enters new ground.

So with 460 stores across the States and Japan, why did it feel time to tackle the notoriously difficult UK market? “We’ve had our eye on the UK for about a decade,” assures Chang, “but we need a big size space and we could never find the right location.” So first came Asia, “going to Asia first has actually been really helpful, we’ve had teething problems, like tax, import and tailoring to a new customers need to learn about and I think this is going to stand us in really good stead for our UK plans.” Unexpectedly first came a Birmingham outlet, “a great entrance,” before the flagship on Oxford Street, this summer, and now Westfield Stratford. “From the short amount of time we’ve been open here in the UK, we have noticed differences in the consumer here,” she muses. “I think mainly it is in the taste element; they know exactly what they want, they like to experiment and they are more fashion forward so pick up on trends quicker. We’ve actually produced some UK exclusive styles to cater for the more sophisticated tastes and styles here,” mentions Chang. She clearly has her head firmly on her shoulders, a strong business instinct and savvy, although she laughs off such suggestions, “it comes from my upbringing, from a tiny age, I would go with my father into each store and listen to him talking to the customers personally, finding out exactly what they wanted, and then finding designs to respond.”

It’s an ethos which has never left the Chang family and, indeed, with all respect they have never allowed, even in growth and successful times, to dissipate from the core of the Forever 21 principle. Perhaps it is one of the most interesting points of the success of the chain, the consumer relationship they have retained over the years, making the fully blown transition from fast fashion for teens to menswear and now ‘Love 21,’ a range for older, working women. “My father spotted this great gap in the market back in the early 80’s for fast fashion and trendy styles at value, and we’ve found a cycle, whereby we grew up with our customer base and they grew with us,” affirms Chang. “It’s really been key.”

She willingly admits that the Forever 21 team are currently experiencing their biggest hurdle, “we’ve just had this explosion of growth, so we are frantically trying to keep up.” And how does she see Forever 21 fitting in and finding a niche in a UK market already saturated with discount retailers such as Primark and Asos. “As long as we keep in mind our original foundations of providing exactly what the customer wants, I am confident the transition will be successful,” she assures, “with our wide assortment of product, daily drop system and new social media activity, whereby customers are always interactive, I think we can always find a niche place.” Chang clearly possesses a bounding energy and passion towards to the chain. “She admits taking a step back is often hard, but the benefit of being a family business is that we all have a similar vision for the label and because we are all in different departments – my mother is in buying, my father in strategy, my sister in visuals – we don’t ever tread on each other’s toes!” And what does the future hold for Forever 21? “We are developing our in-house design team, so there will be more and more exclusive pieces specifically targeted to customers, we are continuing to target a wider audience, so have now just started a maternity line, and now our focus is on China and Hong Kong markets.” Clearly with such a determined mindset and considered strategy, the Forever 21 DNA – on trend, providing value, always changing – can be a global success story.